Withdean Youth FC

Withdean Youth FC @5Ways Soccer

5Ways Soccer runs Sunday League teams through a local club Withdean Youth FC. Team members will be offered an additional weeknight training session and will play fixtures against other local sides. The teams start at under 8s and are exclusively for children who attend Saturday Soccer School or the 5Ways Academy for the duration of the playing season. Each year in May/June we ask children currently attending the school if they want to be involved in a new team. Spaces for newly set-up teams are given away on a first come first serve basis.

Due to the popularity of the already existing teams places are much more limited as each year priority of spaces will be given to returning players. Available space will then be given away on a selection basis based on which children are considered most ready for the challenge.

MINI SOCCER U8-U10

At mini soccer level all our teams are run with the same philosophy as we operate at the Soccer School. In other words, we are all about having fun and developing every player. We do not operate an A and a B team system and we guarantee every child equal time on the pitch. We have found that this not only helps those children lacking in confidence, but it also helps create players who may not have been given a chance to prove themselves at other clubs with a more result orientated mentality. We treat mini football like should be treated – a fun and pressure free learning environment where every child is given the opportunity to learn and express themselves on the football pitch. Teams are finalised in August each year with a limited number of spaces available and priority given to returning team members so be sure to register your interest early for the best chance of getting a space for your child.

9-A-SIDE (U11-U12)

Starting from the 2013-14 season children going into the U11 age group will graduate to 9-a-side football. This is a brand new initiative in English football and has come about as a result of a long consultation process and root by root examination of the English Game by The FA. At 5W ays Soccer we have long felt that the graduation from 7-a-side to the 11-a-side game at U11s was far too big a jump to make and results in less time on the ball, greater focus on tactics over the development of technique and a tendency to encourage long-ball football as the most effective means of scoring a goal. We are very pleased to see this initiative finally being put in place so children can play on appropriately size pitches in the correct size goals and gain more time on the ball and needless to say we will be supporting it wholeheartedly. For an in depth article on the changes being made and the reasoning behind them CLICK HERE .

11-A-SIDE (U13-U16)

Whilst the emphasis on technical development will remain, the graduation to 11-a-side for 12 year-olds represents the opportunity for our teams to focus more on the competitive side of league play.

Once youth players reach U13s it is possible for us to enter teams into different leagues that will provide varying levels of challenge. If it is required it is at this stage that players will be sorted into teams based on ability with more advanced players being given the opportunity to play together in the tougher leagues and those that have a bit more to learn given the chance to improve in a team playing in a more forgiving league.

We recognise that picking teams based on ability can be a challenging thing for those not picked in the 1st team to deal with but feel that at this age children have developed the maturity to understand the different ability levels of their team mates themselves so ensuring players are grouped with others of a similar ability helps improve the environment and general learning process for all involved. The opportunity for movement between teams during the season allows those that show improvement in the second team during matchplay and at the 5Ways Academy Session the chance of a tougher challenge should they impress the coaches.